The present invention relates to a portable telephone having operation buttons on front and side surfaces of its housing, and a method of manufacturing the same.
Conventionally, the function of the portable telephone has progressed. A portable telephone of a type that has front surface operation buttons and side surface operation buttons as operation buttons (keys) serving as a means for the input operation of the user has been developed. Various types of operation buttons (keys), e.g., a dial button, function button, and direction input button, are arranged on the front surface (side surface) of the housing of the portable telephone. Operation buttons (keys) which realize input of predetermined functions are arranged on the side surface of the housing.
In a highly functional portable telephone having operation buttons on both the front and side surfaces of the housing in this manner, usually, a front surface operation button portion and side surface operation button portion are fabricated as two separate components to form the front surface operation buttons and side surface operation buttons. The two components are attached to the housing case to complete a portable telephone product.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-164196 discloses a technique for providing operation buttons to the side surface of the housing of a portable telephone. According to this technique, rubber is provided to the side surface of the housing of the portable telephone to impart waterproof and non-slip functions to the side surface of the housing of the portable telephone, and operation buttons are arranged on the rubber portion.
In the conventional portable telephone, however, a component that forms the side surface operation button portion is assembled by fitting it in a space defined by the inner wall of the housing case of the portable telephone, a side surface operation button component support wall arranged inside the case, and the like. The side surface operation button component support wall as a part of the housing case is located between the side surface operation buttons and a circuit board frame. Therefore, light from an operation button illuminating light source arranged on the circuit board frame is blocked by the side surface operation button component support wall and does not reach the side surface operation buttons. Also, the side surface operation buttons do not have an illuminating function.